Former Energy Minister and running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general elections, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has opened up about his upbringing, highlighting how he was raised in a deep-rooted, politically aware family that shaped his values and leadership path.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, Dr. Opoku Prempeh revealed that he grew up in a home where politics was a constant topic of discussion, and decisions often reflected broader national and partisan interests.
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“I would say that is how I was brought up,” he declared. “I was brought up in a very politically aware family with a history of decades of partisan politics or active political life,” he stated.
According to Dr. Opoku Prempeh, his family’s political engagement spans several decades, involving active participation in Ghana’s political landscape. He noted that this environment exposed him to the principles of public service, patriotism, and leadership responsibility.
He added that these early experiences taught him to value dialogue, democracy, and the importance of representing the interests of ordinary citizens.
“I was brought up to cherish one thing, public service, and not only public service, but bringing value through public service and for public service, meaning you just don’t participate. You participate in terms of regular impact.”
He stressed that the expectations placed on him went beyond symbolic involvement. It was about proving himself, demonstrating his ability to sit and engage at the highest levels of decision-making.
“That is how I was brought up, brought up to prove myself that I can sit at the table with decision makers, and not only the elderly, but a true decision maker,” he added.
Public service, he said, was ingrained in his consciousness so profoundly that it became the benchmark for all his choices and affiliations, even as a child.
“So me growing up having public service has been a duty that has been imprinted in my heart, mind, and everything I do, so even deciding to belong to which associations growing up were all the associations that brought public service to the for,” he added.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s journey into politics began long before his ministerial appointments. After serving as a Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, he gained national prominence as Minister of Education under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government, where he spearheaded the implementation of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.
